Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 謝謝 / 谢谢 | xièxie | ||
| 三Q | sān-Q | /sän⁵⁵ kʰi̯oʊ̯⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /sän⁵⁵ kʰi̯oʊ̯²/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) |
slang |
| 感謝您 / 感谢您 | formal | ||
| 感谢您 | gǎnxiè nín | ||
| 多謝 / 多谢 | to-siā | Hokkien | |
| 感謝 / 感谢 | kám-siā | Hokkien | |
| 勞力 / 劳力 | ló͘-la̍t | Hokkien |
The most common and widely used phrase to express gratitude in Chinese is 谢谢. To emphasize your gratitude or convey a deeper sense of appreciation, you can use 非常感谢, which means "thank you very much". In casual settings among friends, you might hear 谢啦 for a friendly tone or 谢谢你 to personally emphasize the individual you are thanking.
Which one should you use?
In Hokkien, to-siā is a common way to express thanks in casual or specific social contexts, while kám-siā is used when you want to be more formal or heartfelt. In Mandarin, xièxie is the standard everyday expression, whereas 感谢您 (gǎnxiè nín) is a more formal and respectful alternative.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
感謝您 (gǎnxiè nín) is used in formal and respectful situations. 謝謝 (xièxie) is the standard everyday way to say thank you. 谢啦 and 谢谢你 are informal. 三Q (sān-Q) is a playful slang term derived from the English pronunciation of "thank you".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Dungan language, spoken by Chinese-speaking Muslims in Central Asia, you can use дуәще (duəxiə) or рахмат (rahmat), the latter of which shows Turkic linguistic influence. In Hokkien, you can use 多謝 (to-siā), 感謝 (kám-siā) or 勞力 (ló͘-la̍t).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation for 謝謝 / 谢谢 is xièxie.
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese culture, saying 谢谢 too often to close family members can actually be seen as cold or distancing, as it implies a formal debt rather than a familial bond.
- The character 谢 in 谢谢 originally referred to the act of removing petals from a flower or a flower withering.
- The Hokkien phrase 勞力 (ló͘-la̍t) is a unique way to express gratitude that literally relates to 'hard work'. It acknowledges the effort or labor the other person expended for you.
Examples in context
- 我衷心感谢您。I thank you with all my heart.This sentence demonstrates a heartfelt way to use 感谢您.Tatoeba #803835 by fucongcong, translation #436985 by lukaszpp
- 再次感谢您的关注。Thank you once again for your attention.This sentence shows how to use 感谢您 when expressing gratitude for attention.Tatoeba #3479485 by UomoChina, translation #7782285 by sharris123
- 为了感谢您，这里有份礼物。To thank you, here is a gift.This sentence uses 感谢您 to express thanks while offering a gift.Tatoeba #336660 by fucongcong, translation #7782265 by sharris123
- 谢谢您的帮助。Thank you for your help.
- 非常感谢您的慷慨捐赠。Thank you very much for your generous donation.
- 谢啦，你真是个好朋友！Thanks! You're such a great friend!
- 谢谢你的礼物，我非常喜欢它。Thank you for the gift, I really like it.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thank you” translations and entries 三Q, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
